Car History 4U - History of British Motor Car / Automobile Manufacturers History of British Motor Car / Automobile Manufacturers 8.7 Great Britain (UK) 8.7.1. Aston Martin The company was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford and the first car to bear the name was ready by 1915. After encountering financial difficulties during 1924/5 the company was sold in 1926 and renamed “Aston Martin Motors”. Seven years later, in 1933, the company changed ownership again. Up to the start of World War 2, in 1939, about 700 Aston Martin cars had been produced. In 1947 the company was purchased by David Brown Limited, who also acquired the Lagonda car company the same year. The DB range of cars started in 1948 with the 2-Litre Sports DB1. This was followed by the 2,580 cc DB2 (1950-53) and the racing model DB3 in 1957.

The 240 hp (179 kW) 3,670 cc DB4 was first produced in 1958; a car with a top speed of 140 mph (224 kph). By 1963, when production of the DB4 ceased, 1,110 had been made (from 1962 70 were convertibles). 100 short wheelbase DB4 GT/Zagoto models were also built. The lightweight DB4 GT version was introduced in 1959. 75 of these cars, which had a top speed of 153 mph (240 kph), were built. Is 75 correct? In 1961 the company launched the DB4 Vantage model. The 266 hp (198 kW) car was fitted with three SU carburettors. 136 saloons and 32 convertibles were built. Between 1961 and 1963 19 DB4 GT Zagato models were produced, the bodies of which were built by Zagato in Italy.

The 3,995 cc DB 5 model was produced from 1963 to 1965. The 282 hp (210 kW) version, which was fitted with three SU carburettors, had a top speed of 141 mph (226 kph). In 1964 the company produced the high performance, 314 hp (234 kW), DB5 Vantage coupe model. 65 were built. A total of 1,024 DB5 models were produced; 901 two-door coupes and 123 convertibles. A figure of 1,063 has also been quoted. Which is correct? 19 of the convertibles were left-hand drive. 12 special estate car versions were also built. A DB5 car was used in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger (Ian Fleming’s book featured a DB Mark III). 1,567 DB6 models were produced from 1965 to 1970.

The 325 hp (242 kW) 3,996 cc car had a top speed of 150 mph (240 kph). It accelerated from 0-60 mph (96 kph) in 8.4 seconds. A Mark 2 version was launched in 1969. Having been sold in 1972 to a British consortium, the company was bought in 1975 by two American businessmen, who produced the V8 Vantage in 1977 and the the convertible Volante in 1978. Between the early 1980s and 1987 the company changed ownership three more times until the Ford Motor Company initially purchased 75% of the company (gaining full control in 1993). Between 1968 and 1988 approx. 5,000 Aston Martin cars were made. In 1993 the company announced the DB7. In 2002, when production reached 6,000, the DB7 became the top selling DB model.

The DB9 coupe was introduced in 2003, followed by a convertible version the following year. In March 2007 the Ford Motor Company sold Aston Martin to a British consortium led by David Richards. 8.7.2. Austin The Austin Motor Company was founded in 1905 by Herbert Austin, becoming a private limited company in 1908. In 1906 the company produced a large 5 litre family sized model, the first of about 8 different models that were produced in this first decade. In its first year the company produced 23 cars. By 1917 the company’s factory at Longbridge was the largest of its type in Great Britain. The first model introduced after the end of World War 1 was the Austin 20 in 1919. In 1922 a scaled down version, the Austin 12, was produced. Another model introduced in 1922 was the Austin 7, which remained in production until 1939 by which time over 375,000 had been made. It was also being built in Germany, U.S.A and France.

In the early 1930s it was the most popular car in the world. The car had a 747 cc engine and a top speed of 42 mph (67 kph). The first cars produced after World War 2 were based on pre-war designs. These were the Austin 8, 10, 12 & 16 models. The 1,200 cc Austin A40 was the company’s first post war designed car and was produced between 1947 and 1951. By 1952 Austin had produced some 28 different models since it started production in 1906 and two million cars. In 1952 the company merged with Morris Motors to form the British Motor Corporation (which was taken over in 1968 and renamed the British Leyland Motor Company). Whilst part of British Leyland the Austin-Healey 100 (1953-56), Sprite (1958-70) and 3000 (1959-67) sports cars were manufactured.

In 1959 the Austin Mini was introduced and 5,387,862 were produced by the year 2000. These cars had an 848 or 1,275 cc 4-cylinder transverse engine and a top speed of 72 or 96 mph (115/154 kph), dependent on which engine was fitted. Between 1952 and 1989, when the last car to carry the Austin name was built, about 14 new models were introduced, including the Austin A30, A40, A60 Cambridge, 1100/1300, 1800, Maxi, Allegro and Metro. 8.7.3. Bentley The Bentley Motor Company was founded in 1918 by two brothers; Walter and H Bentley. Most of the early models were very successful racing cars, one of the most famous being the 3.0 litre Bentley, which had a top speed of 80 mph (128 kph).

It won the 24-hour Le Mans race in 1924, with other models winning from 1927 to 1930. Between 1921 and 1927 the company produced 1,633 of these 3 litre cars. The Company was seriously affected by the 1929 stock market crash, having just launched its ultra-luxury 8-litre model and only 100 were made. After producing just over 3,000 cars the company was bought by Rolls-Royce in 1931. The first model produced after the end of World War 2 bearing the Bentley name was the 4.3 litre Mark Vl (1946-52), with a convertible version introduced in 1951. In 1952 the R Type was introduced and 2,320 of these 4,566 cc cars were made. The 4,887 cc Continental version was produced for the European market; the first Bentley car to carry the Continental name, and 207 were made by 1955.

The S2 Type was produced between 1959 and 1962, followed by the S3 (1962-65), the T1 (1965-77), and the T2 (1977-81). 2007 Models include the Brooklands, Arnage, Azure and Continental. 8.7.4. Jaguar In 1932 the Swallow Sidecar Company produced its first car; the two-door SS 1. In the mid 1930s the company produced the Jaguar SS100, the first car to carry the Jaguar name. Just over 300 of these 2.5 and 3.5 litre cars were made. Immediately after World War 2 the company changed its name to Jaguar Cars Limited due to the link between the initials “SS” and Nazi Germany. The first cars bearing solely the Jaguar name were the pre-war designed 1.5/2.5/3.5 litre models that were produced from 1945 to 1948. The Mark V, produced in 1948, was the first post war designed model.

Shortly afterwards the company launched the XK120. This was followed by the XK140 in 1954 and the XK150 in 1957. About 72,500 E-Type Jaguars were produced between 1961 and 1973. The car had a top speed of 150 mph (240 kph) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph in 7.1 seconds. In 1968 the top selling XJ6 entered service and by 1979 over 155,000 had been made. After various mergers during the 1960s and then nationalisation, the company became a separate company again in 1984. Five years later it was acquired by the Ford Motor Company. Other models produced between 1950 and 1980 include the S Type, 240, 420, Mk 1, Mk 2 (over 90,000 produced), Mk V11/Vlll/lX and the XJ12.

Models produced since 1980 include the XJS 5.3, XK8 and XJ8. The 2007 range includes the XK, XJ, and XF range, the S Types and the X Types. 8.7.5. Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce Limited was formed in 1906 by Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. In 1904 an agreement had been reached that C S Rolls & Co would sell only cars manufactured by Royce Limited and that the cars would bear the name “Rolls-Royce”. Between 1904 and the start of World War 2 in 1939 about 22,200 cars were produced. In 1907 the company launched the six-cylinder Silver Ghost, selling 6,173 by 1925. Between 1906 and 1972 the company produced some 20 different models, including the Phantom, Wraith, Silver Wraith, Silver Dawn and Silver Shadow range. In 1971 Rolls-Royce Limited was nationalised by the British Government when it encountered serious financial problems.

Two years later, in 1973, it was de-nationalised with the formation of “Rolls-Royce Motors” and “Rolls-Royce Limited” (aero-engine business). In 1975 “Rolls-Royce Motors” launched the Camargue, production of which ceased in 1986. “Rolls Royce Motors” was acquired by the British company Vickers in 1980 and then, in 1998, by Volkswagen. The rights to the Rolls-Royce name and logo were, however, licensed to BMW and “Rolls-Royce Motors” were only allowed to use the name and logo until 1 January 2003. In 2002 the Volkswagen owned “Rolls-Royce Motors” ceased production of their Corniche model. In January 2003 BMW’s subsidiary “Rolls-Royce Motor Cars” launched their Phantom model. 8.7.6. MG The MG letters are derived from the initials of Morris Garages Ltd, which was a distributor for Morris Cars Ltd from 1913 until the late 1920s.

In 1922 Cecil Kimber became General Manager of Morris Garages and in 1923 he started to produce customised Morris cars. These “specials” became known as “Morris Garage Chummys”. Within a year, possibly initially along with the Morris badge, the distinctive octagon MG badge started to appear. The 1924 14/28 MG Super Sports Morris is considered by many to be the first car fitted with the MG badge (fitted on the car’s running boards). 440 were built between 1924 and 1927. This 1,802 cc model, which had a top speed of 65 mph (104 kph), consisted of a new sports body fitted to a Morris Oxford chassis. Just before Cecil Kimber’s death in 1945 he referred to a car called “Old Number One” (FC 7900) as the “first M.G. car I ever built.” The MG badge was fitted on the side of the car. The car had a 1,496 cc Hotchkiss four-cylinder engine and produced about 38 bhp.

The car was registered in March 1925, just prior to the competitive event for which it was built. In 1927 Morris Garages introduced the MG 14/40 model. This was followed in 1928 by the MG 18/80, a car considered to be the first purpose built MG. In addition to its specially designed chassis, the Morris type bullnose radiator was replaced on this model with the now traditional MG grille. In 1929 MG cars produced M-Type Midget, the first in a long line of “Midget” sports cars models. 1930s Company records are said to indicate that the M.G. Car Company Ltd (Reg # 249645) was formed in 1930. In what month? In that year MG built about 1,000 cars. The first car produced in 1930 by the newly formed Company was the MG 18/100 “Tigress” racing car. Two further racing cars were produced in the 1930s, the Q-Type in 1934 and the R-Type in 1935.

In 1935 the M.G. Car Company was sold to Morris Motors Ltd. Up to the start of World War 2 in 1939 the company produced more than 10 different sports models, a small salon car, the MG KN (1933-34), another medium sized car, the MG VA (1937-39) and the two larger salon cars, the MG SA (1936-39) and the WA (1938-39). 1940s The first car produced after World War 2 was the 1,250 cc MG TC Midget, a sports car that had a top speed of 78 mph (125 kph). Between 1945 and 1949 over 10,000 were built. In 1947 MG introduced the YA Type, a medium sized saloon car that had been developed by late 1939. Nearly 6,200 of these cars were built up to 1951.

1950s During the 1950s MG also produced 3 models of the TD Midegt (1950-53); a total of 29,566 + 98 in 1949, the TF Midget (1953-55); a total of 9,600 (including 3,400 1,466 cc models), the 1,488 cc MGA (1955-62); a total of 101,081 and three Magnette models, the ZA, ZB & Mk lll (1953-61). 1960s Between 1961 and 1968 the company produced the Mk lV Magnette. The 1,798 cc MGB was produced from 1962 to 1980, a car with a top speed of 105 mph (168 kph). Including a GT version, over 500,000 of these cars were built.

In 1975 an MGB became the one millionth MG car. In 1962 the company also started production of their MG 1100 model, with nearly 117,000 being built by 1967. MG also produced the 1300 model from 1967 to 1973. Other Models Other models produced up to 2007 include the MG Midget, MGC, RV8, MGF & TF, Maestro, Montego, Metro, MG ZR, ZS & ZT, MG 3, MG 7 and the MG XPower SV.

Ownership Between 1935 and 2007 t MG has been owned by Morris Motors & the Nuffield Organistion (1935-52), BMC (1952-68), BLMC (1968-86), Rover Group (1986-88), BAe (1988-94), BMW (1994-2000), the MG Rover Group (2000-05) and the Nanjing Automobile Group of China since 2005. 8.7.7. Morris William Richard Morris formed WRM Motors in 1912 and by 1913 he had produced his first car, the 1018 cc two-seater Morris Oxford (Bullnose). By the end of 1914, including a coupe version, over 1300 of these cars had been built. In 1915 the company introduced a larger car, the 1.5 litre 4-seater Morris Cowley.

Between 1915 and 1917 just over 1,140 Morris Cowley and Oxford cars were produced. In 1919 WRM Motors ceased trading and Morris Motors Ltd was established. In 1926, just before the renowned “Bullnose” radiator was replaced by a flat one, the Cowley and Oxford models accounted for over 40% of all British car production. Production of these first two models ceased in the mid 1930s. In 1928 the company produced the first in a range of Morris Minor models. Between 1928 and 1933 over 86,000 of these 847 cc cars were built. The model was replaced by the Morris Eight. Production of the Morris 8 (hp) started in 1935, with the 100,000th being delivered on 30 June 1936. Within 3 years nearly 220,000 were built, including the updated Series 1, Series 2 and Series E.

A wide range of other models were produced during the 1930s, including the 1,938 and 2,062 cc Oxford Six (1929-33), the Isis (1930-35), the 16 & 20 models, with over 6,300 produced (1934-35), the 14/16/18 range (1935-39), the Morris 10 (1933-48) and the Morris 8 (1935-48). In 1937 the Morris Company became Europe’s largest vehicle manufacturer and by 1939 it was the first British company to produce one million vehicles. In 1938 Morris Motors Ltd merged with the MG Car Company and Riley to form the Nuffield Organisation. Production resumed after World Two (1939-45) with the pre-war Morris 8 and 10. In 1948 the model 8 was replaced by the Morris Minor and the model 10 by the Morris Oxford.

The Morris Six MS was also introduced in 1948. Between 1948 and 1971 three versions of the Morris Minor were produced; the 918 cc MM model (1948-53), the 803 cc Series 2 (1952-56) and the 948 and 1098 cc Morris 1000, of which nearly 850,000 were built (1956-71). In 1961 the one millionth Morris Minor was built, the first British car to achieve this figure. The 1,476 cc Morris Oxford MO model was produced from 1948 to 1954 and nearly 160,000 were built. The 40.5 hp (30 kW) car had a top speed of 72 mph (115 kph). Between 1954 and 1961 four further versions of the Morris Oxford, all with a 1,489 cc engine, were produced.

The Hindustan Ambassador produced in India (1958 and still in production in 2007) was based upon the Oxford lll model. See Part 2, Section 8.9.1 . The final version was the 1,622 cc Oxford Vl (1961-71), of which over 208,000 were built. In 1952 the Nuffield Organisation merged with the Austin Motor Company to become the British Motor Corporation (BMC). In 1968 BMC became part of British Leyland Motor Corporation and then British Leyland in 1975. The “Mini” car was first produced in 1959 and was originally sold by BMC as both the Austin 7 and the Morris Mini-Minor. In North America and France it was called the Austin 850 and Morris 850. The car was first named the “Mini” in 1961. It was the first front wheel drive car in the world with a traverse fitted engine. This two-door car had an 848 cc engine and was only 10 feet (305 cm) long.

It had a top speed of 72 mph (115 kph). The Mini Cooper version was produced in 1964 with a 997 cc engine, which was later increased to 1,275 cc, giving the car a top speed of 98 mph (157 kph). When production of the Mini Cooper ceased in 1971 150,000 had been built. A newer version was introduced in 1990. In 2000, when production of the Mini ended, over 5.3 million had been built. During this time three upgrades had taken place; the Mk ll, the Clubman and the Mk lll, plus an estate version and the Mini Moke. In 2001 BMW produced a newly styled Mini One and Mini Cooper. Other Morris cars produced include the 1100, with over 800,000 built (1962-71), the 1300 (1967), the 1800 (1966-75) and the Marina (1971-80).

The Ital model (1980-84) was the last car to carry the Morris name. 8.7.8. Other British Car Manufacturers AC, Alvis, Argyll, Armstrong Siddley, Bond, Bristol, BSA, Healey, Hillman, Humber, Jenson, Jowett, Lagonda, Lanchester, Lea Francis, Lotus, Metropolitan, Morgan, Napier, Panther, Reliant, Riley, Rover, Singer, Standard, Sunbeam, Triumph, TVR, Vanden Plas, Vanguard, Vauxhall and Wolseley. 8.7.9. British Car Web Sites British Motor Manufacturers Morgan Cars - Specifications, Prices, Pictures @ Top Speed Morgan cars The British marque returns after 10 years via Isis Imports Posted on British automaker Morgan has announced that its four-wheel models will return to the United States after 10 years of absence through the company’s official U.S. arm, Isis Imports. Previously allowed to sell the 3-Wheeler model only, Isis will, from now on, be able to import the more traditional four-wheeled models thanks to a new law.

The British carmaker has yet to say which models will cross the pond to North America, but it’s likely that customers will have access to some of the vehicles from the Classic lineup, which includes the 4/4, and Plus 8. “While details remain to be finalized, the latest word from the Morgan Motor Company is that they anticipate opening the order books for NEW Morgan cars for the USA, possibly as soon as this summer,” Isis Imports said in a statement. “It is possible that production may begin on USA spec cars before the end of the year." Isis Imports is already accepting deposits for four-wheeled Morgans, which are refundable "up until eight weeks prior to the build of your car after your specifications are finalized." Pricing information is not available, but expect U.S.-spec Morgans to be a tad more expensive than their British-market counterparts. The most likely vehicle to head this way is the Roadster, which uses a 3.7-liter V-6 rated at 280 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque.

Tipping the scales at only 2,094 pounds, the Roadster hits 62 mph from a standing start in only 5.5 seconds and tops out at 140 mph. Continue reading for the full story. Morgan Motor Company is a unique figure in today’s automotive industry. Still a family-owned manufacturer after more than a decade in the business, Morgan continues to build vehicles based on 1920s and 1930s designs, most of them on hand-made wood frames. Some would call their vehicles dated and too old-fashioned, but Morgan has developed a cult following in Europe and sales are strong, despite the expensive price tags. Come 2016, and Morgan takes a new step into the future with the EV3, an all-electric version of the iconic 3-Wheeler. Unveiled at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, the EV3 is Morgan’s first-ever electric vehicle and the first 3-Wheeler to receive a significant makeover since its revival in 2011. Not just a drivetrain swap, the EV3 gained a redesigned body and a new interior with a more modern instrument cluster.

A final pre-production prototype as of this writing, the Morgan EV3 will go into production in the fourth quarter of 2016, with the first examples likely to hit showrooms by the end of the year. Along with the EV3, Morgan also announced that it will develop more EV and hybrid vehicles in the future with funding from the British government. Until that happens, let’s have a closer look at the 3-Wheeler’s battery-powered brother. Continue reading to find out more about the Morgan EV3. by Robert Moore Henry Frederick Stanley built his own three-wheeled car in 1909, and a year later, Morgan Motor Company began producing its own cars. These odd looking cars had two wheels up front and one in the rear, and were produced up until 1952. But, long before then, Morgan developed its first four-wheel car, the 4/4. Aside from a short shut down during World War II, the 4/4 has been continually produced. Now 2016 marks the car’s 80th anniversary.

In 2011, Morgan released the Morgan 4/4 75th anniversary edition, so it is no surprise the Morgan showed up at the Geneva Auto Show this year with another special-edition 4/4 in tow, this time, to celebrate the car’s 80th anniversary. The car has changed a little over the years, but deep down it still has that old-school styling that was popular back in the 1930s. This styling might cause some, especially the younger generations, to dismiss it quickly, but the car deserves a lot more attention than that. It is, after all, the world’s longest running production model. Morgan is slated to produce just 80 models of the 80th-anniversary edition, complete with special features designed specifically for the special edition model. There is, of course, some personalization available, but you’ll see that the special features included as part of this special edition are more than enough to pay homage to this long-running model. So, now that we’ve talked about the history of the model lets dive in and take a deeper look at the 80th-anniversary edition.

Continue reading to learn more about the Morgan 4/4 80th Anniversary Edition. Add Morgan to the growing list of automakers who are gearing up for a future model lineup that includes hybrid and electric vehicles. The British automaker has announced its intention to develop a series of hybrid and EV models that it plans to launch by 2019. While it’s not as big of a company as some of the giants in the business, Morgan is still making that leap, thanks in large part to securing funding from the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre. The company is also tapping into its partnerships with Delta Motorsport and Potenza Technology to invest £6 million ($8.5 million) in the development of new technologies, including hybrid and EV powertrains. Morgan managing director Steve Morris told Autocar that the company has already invested time and money to get to this point, specifically touching on the research and development of new propulsion technologies that it has been doing for close to a decade now. While it’s certainly hard to envision Morgan becoming as big in hybrids and EVs as the Toyotas and BMWs of the world, the company knows what its targets are and is sticking to it, including appealing to its key markets and attracting new customers.

Only time will tell if Morgan will be able to get where it needs to go, but there’s plenty of reason to believe that with the industry evolving into one that places a premium on delivering improved fuel economy and efficiency, there’s no time like today - and the future - for Morgan to go all-in on this endeavor. Continue reading for the full story. been building the same car for decades. But next to Morgan, Porsche looks like Lexus 2050. So tightly has Morgan held to tradition that not only do its new cars look like they might have been designed in 1950, they’re built like it, too. As of right now, Morgan is the only car company in the world to build its frames out of wood. Yes, wood. As in, the stuff that used to be trees; in this case, ash trees harvested locally from the Malvern Hills. Now that’s tradition. Of course, you’d expect a car company so deliberately steeped in the grandiose past to plan something big for a notable commemoration. This year marks the 65th birthday of the company’s most successful model, the Plus 4.

While 65 years old is technically old enough to collect a pension in England, Morgan’s limited run of 50, Cosworth -powered AR Plus 4 proves that this dapper old chap isn’t quite ready for the retirement home yet. Continue reading to learn more about the Morgan AR Plus 4. It’s a well-known scientific fact that the Morgan 3 Wheeler is the greatest car in the world. By modern standards, this tiny roadster with a missing wheel is archaic. With an 82 horsepower motorcycle engine, it’s not particularly fast. Its chassis is constructed using techniques from the 1930s. It doesn’t have an infotainment system or even an AM radio. Those might sound like negatives, but brought together they make for one of the most fun and engaging cars on sale today. Now Morgan has a new 3 Wheeler called the EV3, that ditches the V-twin engine and replaces it with an electric motor and battery pack in the rear. Morgan says the electric drivetrain is good for 75 kW, the equivalent of 100 horsepower, and has range of about 150 miles.

At a featherweight 992 pounds, it’s also a good bit lighter than the gas-powered 3 Wheeler, which is about 160 pounds heavier. The lack of a V-twin hanging off the front helps simplify styling, and the polished-aluminum body and disc front wheels make it look like a shrunken version of something you might see streaking across the Bonneville Salt Flats. Overall, the subtle, yet effective changes give a sort of 1950s-retro-futurist feel. Only a concept for now, the EV3 will be shown later this month at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed. It’s currently in development and a production version is planned for the end of 2016. Like the regular 3 Wheeler, Morgan says production EV3s will be bespoke-built to order. Continue reading for the full story. is very much a unique car company: it makes cars you either love or hate. The folks at XCar are definitely in the love-it camp, and in this video, they not only say it, but also show it by taking a roofless model out for a test drive in January.

That’s something you’re likely to do only if you really love a car. This enthusiasm is understandable though, especially given the fact that this is one of only 60 units of the Plus 8 Speedster that Morgan will build. The car is special edition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the company, which is still family owned after a century of operation. It manages this by having its niche more or less all to itself, building cars by hand that have the appearance of machines from the 1930s. It’s an odd approach, but it has clearly worked for them, and the cars have a definite charm to them. It might be strange to feel nostalgic for a time you probably weren’t alive for, but Morgan can make sure that you at least have fun doing it. Introduced in 2001, the Aero 8 was notable for several reasons. First, it was the first new Morgan design since 1948. Second, it was also the first Morgan to employ an aluminum chassis and frame as opposed to the wooden body tub and steel chassis in previous models. It was also criticized for its "crosseyed" headlamps, which Morgan fixed in 2007.

Replaced by the Aero SuperSports the Aero 8 just made a comeback at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. as Morgan’s range-topping roadster model. Obviously based on the current Aero Coupe, the Aero 8 features similar exterior styling, an almost identical cockpit, and a BMW- sourced V-8 engine. Of course, the Aero 8 comes with a few unique features of its own and plenty of options buyers can use to customize their roadster into a one-of-a-kind rig. The new Aero 8 will hit showrooms as a limited-edition model for the 2016 model year, when Morgan celebrates 15 years since launching the nameplate, but don’t get your hopes up on seeing it in the U.S. any time soon. Updated 03/03/2015: Morgan unveiled the 2015 Aero 8 at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show and announced it will enter production in the fourth quarter of 2015. Continue reading to learn more about the 2015 Morgan Aero 8.

The 2015 Geneva Auto Show is nearly here, as it kicks off for the media on March 3rd and the general public on March 5th. There are tons of debuts scheduled for the event, one of which happens to be a new Morgan. Morgan, which is best known for its retro-inspired creations, appears to be rolling into Geneva with yet another classic-looking piece with modern greasy bits. From the shadowy image that the small British automaker released, I can see that this is an extreme cab-rearward design, which leads me to believe that this is a modified version of the Aero Coupe with a notchback instead of the typical fastback look. The seats sit just fore of the rear axle, while the hood is seemingly a mile long. The sides are accented by a swoopy sill that starts from the front wheel arch and slowly descends as it stretches back to the rear fender. This thing looks like it’s straight from a 1930’s gangster movie and should have some short-fused dude named Bugsie driving it. In the video below, we also get a nice look at its interior and an earful of its burbling exhaust note.

Clearly, this thing is packing some turbocharged heat, with the likely candidate being a BMW-sourced twin-turbo V-8. Stay tuned, as this model will debut in just a few days, and we’ll be sure to bring you all of the details. Continue reading to learn more about this new car. by Ciprian Florea + About a couple of weeks ago, Morgan — you know, the British company that keeps building cars like it’s 1950 — announced it will launch a new model at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show . A teaser photo was also released with the statement, but other than showcasing the front fascia of an Aero Coupe / Supersports model, the shadowy image provided no hints as to what to expect in Geneva. Now, Morgan has published yet another teaser, this time around in the form of a 35-second clip. There aren’t many hints in this one either, but the video does show a pair of leather-wrapped seats with diamond quilting. Morgan quality at its best! Fortunately, the video’s soundtrack provides a bit more info.

Specifically, it tells us the new vehicle also comes with a turbocharged V-8 engine, although there have been rumors that Morgan might opt for a V-6. The new Morgan sounds downright gorgeous, with its engine boasting a mix of classic V-8 roar and race-like popping and cracking. I’ll give you a moment. Sounds exhilarating, doesn’t it? So what are we actually listening to? The folks over at Jalopnik quote Morgan’s Chief of Design Jon Wells saying this new car is "an evolution of the Aero. A car that celebrates 15 years since the launch of the Aero platform." If that’s any indication, Morgan is again using a BMW -sourced V-8 engine, most likely an updated version from the Munich’s new line of M models. Bring it on!

Question: In March 2000, which British car company introduced a model called the Aero 8, its first new model for over thirty years?
Answer: MORGAN